This year’s Christmas is looking increasingly likely to be a white one. At last, 2016 appears to have something positive to offer us.

We haven’t had a smattering of snow during the festive season since 2010. And all we need for an official White Christmas is for snow to be registered ANYWHERE in the UK within 24 hours of the big day.

The Met Office put out its predictions for winter this weekend, and it seems conditions are going to be pretty perfect for snow – as long as we get some precipitation to go with them. But it’s a little to early to tell that just yet.

For those in the North of England (and Scotland of course, but they get it all the time), things are looking bright.

According to the Met Office:

“It is likely to be rather a cold period, with temperatures below average for the time of year, and a continued risk of overnight frosts.

“Whilst it may be relatively mild at times, temperatures on the whole through this period are likely to be below average.”

Doctor Jeff Knight, who leads the production of the Met Office long-range outlook says: “This time last year our outlook gave advance warning of the risk of the very mild, stormy and wet start to winter that was linked to the flooding in Cumbria, but this year indications are very different.

“Weather patterns with more frequent northerly or easterly winds are favoured, which increases the risk of cold weather.”

Online weather forums have been in a flurry of activity for weeks, discussing the possibility of snow falling in the UK this December.

User easton888 explains in layman’s terms:

“From what I can tell this winter will be cold, not windy and rainy like usual. This means lots of days where it’s cold but dry and bright. And cold nights.

“There’s not much rain around so it’s hard to tell if it will snow at all, but it should be cold enough if it does come this way.

“White Christmas is a little early to tell, but it’s more promising than last five years!”

However, the Met Office has covered its back, explaining that long-term weather predicting is more of an art than a science and that there is still a chance we’ll get the wet, windy weather of the past few years.

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“Overall, it should be stressed that more normal winter weather, with temperatures ranging from slightly below average to mild, is still marginally more likely. Nevertheless, the risk of cold conditions at the start of winter is now greater than it has been in recent winters. “